The increase in popularity of digital cameras, particularly those incorporated into mobile phones, has given rise to a number of devices that allow a user to support the camera while also being included in a picture. Camera is defined herein as any device for taking pictures or video, such as a smartphone, digital camera and the like.
Examples of this type of hand held camera support can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,684,694 and 8,757,901 and U.S. patent application publication number 2008/0117328. These hand held supporting devices work well for certain types of photographs, taken under particular conditions. Such devices, however, have limitations. For example, a user may wish to take a photograph from a greater distance than is practical for a hand held device. Further, a hand held device, particular when extended to greater lengths, is prone to shaking while a user is taking a picture, leading to blurring of the photograph. Further, the arm and stick are usually seen in the captured image, particularly in shots where the rod is fully extended.
A traditional device designed to overcome the limitations of hand held camera supports is the tripod. Tripods allow for stationary and stable picture taking at greater distances; however, they are generally bulky and inconvenient to carry. Further, a tripod often requires a stable or flat surface for support, which may not be available in certain locations. Additionally, a tripod takes time to set up and decreases the spontaneity which a photographer may wish to capture.
To overcome the limitations of a tripod, supports for mounting a camera on a stationary object such as a tree or post have been developed. Examples of such devices can be seen in U.S. patent application publication numbers 2009/0010637 and 2011/0116782. Most hangers currently in the marketplace have a channel through which an elongated fastener, such as a nail or pin, is inserted prior to the pin being driven into the support surface. These types of stationary support devices utilize stationary objects in the environment for supports, such as a trees and posts, to which the device is fastened.
The '637 application discloses an elongated piece to which a camera is attached. The elongated piece is mounted to a generally wooden or penetrable surface, by using penetrating members similar to pins, nails or staples. The limitations of the '637 device include potential damage to surfaces to which the device is mounted and the difficulty of forcing the penetrating member into the support surface.
The '782 application similarly discloses a device for attachment to a tree or a wooden, penetrable surface. The '782 device utilizes a screw or pin to penetrate the surface and support an elongate boom, to which a camera is attached at the end. Much the like the '637 device, the limitations of the '782 device include potential damage to a surface to which the device is mounted and the difficulty of inserting the pin into the surface. Additionally, the complexity of the '782 device requires a set-up time that could reduce the spontaneity of a picture. Further, devices like those described in the '637 and '782 applications are difficult to reposition if the photograph does not come out as planned.
Another solution known in the art designed to overcome the limitations of a tripod include attaching a double sided adhesive or hook and loop fastener strip directly to the camera. Once applied to the camera, the adhesive strip allows the camera to be attached to a vertical surface, or in the case of a hook and loop device, to the complementary hook and loop attachment strip on the vertical support surface. Attaching an adhesive strip directly to the camera, however, may leave damaging residue on the camera, even when the strip is designed to be removable.
Further, a camera is not flexible, so attaching a strip directly to the camera inhibits the ability of the user to mount the device on an irregular support surface. While an adhesive strip attached directly to the camera overcomes the problem of tripod inconvenience, it is clear that this approach has a number of limitations preventing it from being an effective solution to the problem that the present disclosure overcomes. For existing camera supports, use of an adhesive strip, nano suction or hook and loop fastener, does not allow the camera lens to be variably angled. A further problem with existing camera supports that use nano suction is that smartphone cases that have a nano suction back require the user to acquire a new case.